Ronaldo? No. Messi? No. Ribery? No. So who does JAMIE CARRAGHER think should take home the Ballon d'Or this time around?

First of all, it is abundantly clear no team can match Bayern Munich. Seven of the 23 contenders for the glittering prize are from Pep Guardiola’s squad, which underlines what quality they have.

Secondly, the shortlist shows how far the Premier League has fallen behind.

Leading by example: Philipp Lahm has had an exceptional year for Bayern Munich

The boss: Pep Guardiola's Bayern side are the best team in the world by a considerable distance

Only five candidates played in
England last season but none has a chance of winning it because English
clubs performed so poorly in the Champions League.

Lionel Messi is among the favourites to win it for a fifth consecutive time, with Cristiano Ronaldo close behind.

They are remarkable but I don’t feel they will dominate the vote this time, as they didn’t produce the magic you would expect from them in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Premier fall: English teams, with Rio Ferdinand for Manchester United and Olivier Giroud of Arsenal, disappointed in the Champions League last season and so are poorly represented in the Ballon d'Or nominations

Both Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Munich’s wing wizards, have been exceptional.

They are Treble winners and Ribery won
UEFA’s Best Player award after Bayern lifted the Champions League.
Their 7-0 two-leg annihilation of Barcelona should also stand for
something.

However, I would like a defender to win it for the first time since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.

Usual suspects: Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi failed in the latter stages of the Champions League

Wing wizard: Franck Ribery (left) has also been exceptional for all-conquering Bayern Munich

Step forward Philipp Lahm. He captained the Treble winners, broke through the 100-cap mark for Germany this year and is the best full back in the world.

More recently he has stepped into central midfield and played with such panache it appeared he had been in that role all his life.

At 29 he is operating at the peak of his powers. There would be no more deserving winner.

Champion: Lahm would be the first defensive player to win since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006